The Product of Our Environment: Education and the Japanese Way of Life

Abstract

The importance of Japan as an economic competitor in the world marketplace gives special significance to stereotypes and prejudice that non‐Japanese hold concerning these people. There is a feeling, for example, that the Japanese are wonderful imitators of other people's ideas and inventions, but have yet to produce a world‐class invention of their own. The Japanese are said to think alike, work alike, act alike and generally be so homogeneous that it is hard to imagine a culture emphasizing individuality flourishing in the island nation. As with all such stereotypes, there is probably a kernel of truth in these, but they ill serve anybody hoping to trade or in any way get to know a society so successful that it has become one of the world's pre‐eminent industrial powers where only 50 years ago it lay in ruins and defeat. There must be much more to this society than lockstep regimentation and slavish copying of what the world outside affords.

Citation

Callan, R.J. (1994), "The Product of Our Environment: Education and the Japanese Way of Life", Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 20-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb008370